Effect of the electrode's material on the X-ray emission in a vacuum arc

The results obtained in an investigation on the effect of the electrode material in the X-ray emission of a pulsed vacuum arc are reported. The discharge is obtained through the use of a fast line pulser feeding a set of rod-plane electrodes inside a high-vacuum vessel. The diagnostics included: Voltage and current monitors, time-resolved X-ray detection, and fast photography. One of the electrodes was made of stainless-steel and the other of brass. It was found that the exchange of the material of the electrodes altered the intensity of the X radiation and its spectrum. Transmission-filter spectroscopy of the radiation emitted showed that the plasma column, pinched in one case and, broke up in the other. It was also observed that the chemical composition of the arc vapor it was affected by the exchange.